Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a rotary dispenser for telecommunications cables.

Background

Wholesale telecommunications cables (e.g. copper-based, fibre optic or support cables) may be supplied for installation as a drum, in which the cable is wound around a reel.

The telecommunications cable is dispensed by unreeling the cable from the drum. However, given the weight and/or length of telecommunications cables, the drums may be bulky and weighty. As a result, manoeuvring such drums may be difficult, and in particular it may be difficult conveniently, safely, and controllably to unreel the telecommunications cable.

As a result, it is desirous to provide a dispenser for such telecommunications cables that allows for safe, accurate and convenient unreeling of the drum.

It is an aim of the present invention to at least alleviate some of the aforementioned problems.

Statements of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided: a rotary dispenser for unwinding a telecommunications cable from a drum, the rotary dispenser comprising: a rotating portion for supporting the drum and for permitting rotation of the drum about an axis of rotation; a fixed portion supporting the rotating portion and configured to remain static relative to the rotating portion; a locating member for centring the drum about the axis of rotation; a cable guide, coupled to the fixed portion, for receiving the telecommunications cable from the drum when the drum is mounted on the rotary dispenser and configured to support movement of the telecommunications cable through the cable guide as the rotating portion and the drum are rotated with the rotating portion; and an urging member for urging the cable guide away from the rotating portion so as to tension the telecommunications cable in use. Preferably, the urging member is in the form of a spring or a pneumatic piston. Preferably, the pully is fixed engaged with the fixed portion. Preferably the, or at least a part of the, locating member is aligned and/or coincident with the axis of rotation. Preferably, the rotating portion and the drum are rotated about the axis of rotation in response to a force on the telecommunications cable through the cable guide and away from the rotating portion. Preferably, the rotating portion is configured to support and to rotate the drum in a manner so as to allow unspooling of the telecommunications cable tangentially to the rotating path of the drum. Preferably, the rotary dispenser is configured to support, during unspooling, the drum in a vertical orientation. Preferably, the axis of rotation passes through the drum, rotating portion, and fixed portion.

Preferably, the cable guide is in the form of a pulley. Optionally, the cable guide is in the form of a channel. Preferably, the pulley is configured to support the telecommunications below or above an axis of rotation of the pulley.

Preferably, the rotating portion comprises a rotary bearing. Preferably, the locating member comprises a spindle. Preferably, the spindle is configured to receive the drum and/or a coil of the telecommunications cable.

Preferably, the spindle is dimensioned so as to receive, and centre about the axis of rotation, at least two stacked drums.

Preferably, the spindle comprises an outward urging member for engaging the drum and/or a coil of the telecommunications cable.

Preferably, the locating member comprises a wall formation arranged on the fixed portion so as to receive a side wall of the drum.

Preferably, the locating member is fixed to the rotating portion so that the locating member is available to rotate with the rotating portion.

Preferably, the rotary dispenser further comprises an arm projecting away from the fixed portion, wherein the cable guide is coupled to the fixed portion via the arm. Preferably, the arm is fixedly engaged to the fixed portion. Optionally, the arm and/or cable guide is/are aligned with the axis of rotation. Optionally, the arm and/or cable guide is/ are offset with the axis of rotation, and may lie on a tangent of the fixed portion and/or rotating portion. Optionally, the arm and/or cable guide comprises a mechanism to permit lateral movement of the arm and/or cable guide, thereby to help accommodate different-sized drums and depletion of the drum.

Preferably, the arm is hinged so as to facilitate movement of the arm towards and away from the fixed portion.

Preferably, the rotary dispenser further comprises a brake for inhibiting motion of the rotating portion. Preferably, the rotary dispenser further comprises a brake for inhibiting motion of the pulley. Preferably, the brake/s is/are adjustable as to braking force that may be applied.

Preferably, the cable guide and/or rotating portion is/are ratcheted. Preferably, the fixed portion comprises a foot for resting on ground so as to render the dispenser freestanding. Preferably, the axis of rotation is perpendicular to the foot.

Optionally, the drum and the rotary dispenser are integrally formed.

The invention includes any novel aspects described and/or illustrated herein. The invention also extends to methods and/or apparatus substantially as herein described and/or as illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Any apparatus feature may also be provided as a corresponding step of a method, and vice versa. As used herein, means plus function features may alternatively be expressed in terms of their corresponding structure, for example as a suitably-programmed processor.

Any feature in one aspect of the invention may be applied, in any appropriate combination, to other aspects of the invention. Any, some and/or all features in one aspect can be applied to any, some and/or all features in any other aspect, in any appropriate combination. Particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects of the invention can be implemented and/or supplied and/or used independently. As used throughout, the word 'or' can be interpreted in the exclusive and/or inclusive sense, unless otherwise specified.

The invention extends to a rotary dispenser described herein and/or substantially as illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is now described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a telecommunications cable drum and a rotary dispenser for the same, shown in profile; and

Figure 2 shows the drum in situ mounted on the rotary dispenser.

Specific Description

Figure 1 schematically shows a rotary dispenser 100 for a telecommunications cable drum 105, and Figure 2 shows the telecommunications cable drum in situ mounted onto the rotary dispenser for dispensing a telecommunications cable.

The telecommunications cable drum 105 comprises a reel 110, around which a length of telecommunications cable 115 is wound, and in particular around a cylindrical core, the ends of which are flanked by end walls. Apertures are provided in each end wall, and the apertures are aligned so as to provide a through hole between the end walls and through the centre of the cylindrical cavity.

The telecommunications cable 115 is available to be in the form of: fibre optic cables; copper (or other electrically-conducting) cables; hybrid cables; support cables; and/or ducting pipes e.g. for blown fibre).

The rotary dispenser 100 is provided as a free-standing dispenser, and configured to receive and support the drum 105, and then to permit rotation of the drum so as to aid unwinding of the telecommunications cable 115. To achieve this, the rotary dispenser comprises a: fixed portion 120; and a rotating portion 125. In use, the rotating portion is arranged so as to rotate (and in particular, to spin) relative to the fixed portion, which is arranged to remain static by placement on the ground. The rotating portion 125 further comprises a rotating platform 125-1 and a rotating element 125-2, onto which the rotating platform is mounted. The rotating platform comprises an upper exposed surface for supporting the drum 105 (in particular, resting on a side wall). The rotating element 125-2 permits low-friction circular rotation of the rotating platform. For example, the rotating element 125-2 is in the form of a rotary bearing.

The fixed portion 120 is configured to support the rotating portion 125, and comprises an exposed underside surface 130, which is arranged distally to the rotating platform 125-1. The underside surface 130 is flat so as to be placed on the ground, and the rotary dispenser is configured to have high contact friction between the ground and the underside surface 130 so that the fixed portion may remain static when a force is applied that imparts rotation upon the rotating portion; to this end, the underside surface 130 comprises a high-friction surface (e.g. rubber).

The rotating element 125-2 is configured, and arranged relative to the fixed portion 120, so that the axis of rotation of the rotating element (and therefore of the rotary dispenser 100) is perpendicular to the ground.

With reference in particular to Figure 1 , the rotary dispenser 100 further comprises a locating member 135 for centring the drum 105 about the axis of rotation and for limiting movement of the drum away from said axis. The locating member comprises a spindle 135-1 and a wall formation 135-2.

The spindle 135-1 is dimensioned so as to receive the cavity of the drum 105. The spindle is available to be mounted on the rotating portion 125 or the fixed portion 120. The wall formation 135-2 is formed as part of the rotating portion 125, and provides an abutment surface for limiting travel of the end wall of the drum that rests on the rotating portion (as shown in Figure 2).

The rotary dispenser 100 further comprises an arm 140 fixedly mounted to the fixed portion 120; in this way the arm remains fixed relative to the rotating portion 125 when said portion is spinning. The arm 140 comprises a pulley 145 at a terminal end of the arm away from the fixed portion. The pulley is configured to receive, and to support movement of, the telecommunications cable 115. In use, as shown in Figure 2, the drum 105 is placed onto the rotating portion 125 and the telecommunications cable 115 is fed through the pulley 145 (below an axis of rotation of the pulley). The pulley thereby permits conversion of an upward component of a force on the telecommunications cable 115 into a horizontal component, which in turn is transferred to the drum (by means of the rotating portion), and in turn the rotating portion, and thereby causes unspooling of the telecommunications cable 115. In this way, overhead installation of the telecommunications cable 1 15 (e.g. along telegraph poles) may be performed by a single individual angled above the rotary dispenser (e.g. atop a telegraph pole) by pulling on the telecommunications cable.

To help prevent slippage between the drum 105 and the rotating portion 125, the rotating platform 125-2 comprises, as part of the upper exposed surface, a traction surface and/or mechanism (not shown), for example in the form of a: high-friction surface; clamp for fastening a side wall of the drum; and/or a recess and/or a key for receiving and engaging a complementary formation on the drum 105.

To help tension the telecommunications cable 115 during unspooling, the arm 140 comprises a hinge 150 configured to support rotation of the pulley 145 towards and away from the rotating portion 125, and further comprises an urging member 155 (e.g. a spring) configured to urge the arm 140, and therefore also the pulley 145, away from the rotating portion 125.

The rotary dispenser 100 further comprises a brake 160 for controlling the speed at which the telecommunications cable is unreeled from the rotary dispenser, which further assists with tensioning the telecommunications cable and helps improve safety. To do so, the brake 160 is provided as part of the arm and configured to impede rotation of the pulley, for example by friction. The brake is adjustable so as to vary the retarding force that may be applied to the pulley.

In one example, the arm and/or pulley is aligned with the axis of rotation.

Alternatives and Modifications Additionally, or alternatively, the brake 160 is arranged so as to impede rotation of the rotating portion. In this example, the brake is also available to be adjustable.

It will be appreciated that by appropriately rearranging the pulley 145 and the urging member 155, the rotary dispenser 100 is available to convert a downward component of a force on the telecommunications cable 115 into a horizontal component so as to unspool the telecommunications cable. In this way, underground installation of the telecommunications cable may be conveniently performed.

In one example, the spindle 135-1 is removable, thereby to allow the envelope of the rotary dispenser 100 to be reduced. Where the spindle is removable, on an underside of the fixed portion 120, a recess and retaining formation is provided for storing the spindle.

In another example, the spindle 135-1 is telescopic allowing the spindle to be selectively extended to an appropriate size based on the dimensions of the drum/s 110 that is/are to be received on the rotary dispenser 100.

In yet another example, the rotary dispenser 100 is configured (at least, by an appropriately sturdy construction, a wide base for the fixed portion 120 and a sufficiently frictionless rotating element 125) to store multiple stacked drums 110, so that a plurality of drums may serially be dispensed from the same single rotary dispenser. This is assisted by dimensioning the spindle 135-1 so as to receive and align multiple of the drums 110 stacked on top of one another.

In an alternative, the pulley 145 is more generally a cable guide for the telecommunications cable, and in particular a guide for preventing lateral movement of the cable. For example, the cable guide is a grooved channel.

In a further alternative, the spindle 135-1 comprises an outward urging member for providing a radial force against the core of the drum 105, thereby to help centre and engage the drum. Furthermore, where a wound-up length of telecommunications cable is provided without the reel 1 10, the length of telecommunications cable is available to be engaged directly onto the rotary dispenser 100 by means of the spindle 135-1 and outward urging member. As such, the outward urging member may be arranged to provide an outward urging force along all, or substantially all, of the height of the spindle.

Each feature disclosed herein, and (where appropriate) as part of the claims and drawings may be provided independently or in any appropriate combination.

Any reference numerals appearing in the claims are for illustration only and shall not limit the scope of the claims.